Tourism apprenticeship pilot planned

A tourism apprenticeship training programme is being set up to help people better prepare for critical jobs in the industry, the House was told.

Outlining the objectives of the programme, Minister Charles Clifford said one was, ‘to guarantee that there will always be a significant number of highly qualified Caymanians employed at every level of the tourism industry so as to ensure the unique Cayman character of the Cayman vacation experience.’

Answering a question from George Town MLA Lucille Seymour, Mr. Cliford said the idea had already received strong support from the industry.

The next step was to form an apprentice advisory council made up of 12 to 15 people from the tourism industry, he said.

It was proposed to conduct a pilot test of the programme – involving about 20 people – in the 2006-07 academic year, Mr. Clifford told the House.

‘Some would be chosen from workers already employed in the tourism industry. Others would be selected from recent high school graduates who want to start careers in tourism and a few would be high school seniors with a desire and commitment to a career in tourism,’ he said.